Zootopia: Engage Horizon
by OctogonKing
Summary: An abyssinian cat goes to the city of Zootopia, an intent to work and finish within the shadows. He believes he needed to finish this alone, seeing his objective as something that no other can do. But...that will be hard to do with two cops with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first Fanfic of Zootopia. Reviews and comments on what I could do are appreciated. Anyway...enjoy~**

"Well...this is different."

The feline looks around, finding himself in a landscape of low hills. There were various structures nearby where some were farms, or bakeries, and including a farmer's market. It was certainly something he didn't expect. Heck, he wasn't even supposed to be here!

 _Calm down Hallow. Nobody expects you be perfect, you're still new to this sort of thing._ and he was right.

This was Hallow's very first mission so at least they would let him off the hook for certain things. But still if he did anything serious then it would mean failure for the felidae.

Stay focused, right now he was nearby a farm. This farm had rows of crops that grew various vegetation with these odd purple flowers surrounding the perimeter. There was a barn close by where there was a slogan "Hopps Family Farms". Wait...this seems familiar-

"Oh hello. What are you doing here?" comes a voice from behind.

Hallow could practically feel the hairs on his back standing straight. He slowly turns around to find the source of this voice only to find a bunny with a plow beside him. He looked a bit chubby despite being a farmer evidenced by his attire.

The only thing that came out of Hallow's mouth was, "Uhhhh..." with his mind going blank for any excuses.

"Ah it's alright. You obviously aren't from around here. Can I ask what you are?" it was a rather touchy request.

"Well I'm an Abyssinian Grey Cat." was the feline's answer.

The bunny raises a brow. "Never heard of it. Though you are a weird looking black panther. What is with the white hair and the polka dots on your eyes?" pointing to his head and eyes.

The feline brustles through his silvery white hair, and he already acknowledges the white polka dot on his left eye and black on his right. Well it seems that artificially selected species do not exist here. Crap, how is he supposed to blend in now?

"Oh it's a new style that I've recently heard of. All of this is color dye so it'll fade within a few days." that was the fastest thing he could think of.

The bunny shakes his head with a smirk, "City folks these days. Always making up these crazy styles. So then," he leans on his plow. "How may I help you?"

The feline looks about, eyeing at a house near the barn. Looks like a suitable place to stay for a while. He'll make sure not to overdo his stay and leave as soon as he can.

"Is it alright if I stay here for a while? Don't worry I won't take long. Just need a bit of rest." he grasps his knees and pretends to breathe a bit labored.

The bunny nods and plays as the leader to guide the pretending exhausted feline to his household. Upon arrival, Hallow notices that though everything is roomy it is also a bit small for his size. Much of the furniture was displaying a traditional style, oak wood and birch being the material. And like every house they had a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and probably some bed rooms upstairs. Though Hallow felt like if he sat on a chair it would snap undetneath his weight. But still..the place was pretty cozy.

"Name's Stu by the way." the farmer would mention.

"Hallow..nice to meet you." was his response.

Trying his best to get comfortable was a tedious task. Since nearly everything was too small for him it put a few aches on his body, even when trying to get on the bed. The only thing he could actually sit on was the couch.

"Honey? Are you done with all the farming yet?" a voice comes from upstairs.

"Not really. We have a visitor sweetheart, he's an odd fellow for sure." was Stu's response.

Heading down the stairs was another bunny, obviously this time it was a female. She wore old fashioned style, a jumper in denim and a pink shirt on the inside. This bunny too was a bit chubby like his husband. And right when she saw the feline she was taken back for a moment but maintains her posture. Was she afraid of him?

"Ah hello. What is your name, mine is Bonnie and I'm pretty sure that you've met my husband." the lagomorph points to Stu.

Hallow bows in a bit of respect, "Hello Miss Bonnie, my name is Hallow and it is nice to meet you as well."

"Just Bonnie is fine." Bonnie chuckles.

The wife heads over to the kitchen and begins her work while the husband goes back out to finish as much work as he could. In result they both left the felidae to whatever he may decide to do, leaving him alone. Hallow didn't really desire interfering with family affairs, being the guest they probably won't allow him to exert himself. But what to do?

...

Then he thought of a good idea...he'll draw instead. With permission the feline heads upstairs to get a few pencils, sheets of paper, and a packet of colored pencils to color in what his drawings should be. Moving to the table Hallow begins to draw, outlining the shapes in a total of eight times and soon starting to let the drawings take shape in his hands.

And he drew REALLY fast. His hand practically turned invisible as he drew eight protraits. A human, cat, border collie, anubian jackal, lucario, deer, lion, and bunny. Hallow's style was a mix of realism and cartoon because that is his style of drawing.

The drawings grew solidity and shading, soon color was added to the mix where these eight projects were near final completion. Now all he needed to do was add their names. Hallow switched out a pencil as the one he was holding was smoldering with embers.

 _'Dream, Genesis, Glacies, Umbra, Anima, Terra, Nova, Aero.'_ and he signed his name at the bottom corners.

But something almost made the feline jump out of his seat. "Wow! You're really good at drawing!"

Hallow whirls his head around to find Bonnie smiling at his creations, how much had she seen? Hopefully not much.

Covering it all up he finds a good excuse, "Y-Yeah I used to take art classes." and part of that was true.

Giggling she asked, "So what are they exactly? They seem to be based of fictional characters." scanning her eyes over the drawings. "You must be very creative making an entirely different person!"

Hallow couldn't help but feel some pride swell in him. But part of him knew they weren't all that original. "Yup! With my wild imagination and art skill I can create anything! But those eight are my favorite." he giggles.

With the female bunny nodding to a satisfactory answer, Hallow was left alone to himself once more. But something was interesting, a pleasent aroma sneaking into his nostrils coming from the kitchen. He didn't want to intrude...but is smelled really good, maybe just one more. No not really a lot more...

Taking lost of good whiffs he turns around to find the bunny cooking some kind of stew! It must be carrot stew, judging by how some of the orange vegetables were bobbing above the boiling pourage. There were hundreds of little bowls nearby, and Hallow was not sure what they were for.

"The stew smells nice but what is with all the bowls?" was the feline's question.

"It's to feed my children, total of 275. Quite a handful to be honest." that answer blew his mind.

This time Hallow offered assistance to pour some of the soup into the bowls. Plenty of soup was brewed for all the little bowls to fill with, it probably took quite a lot of ingrediants.

Opening the door Bonnie hollers, "Kids! Dinner is ready!"

Out of curiostiy the cat looks out between the ears of the rabbit. Small grey smudges were approaching the house with incredible speed. Closer inspection proves they were all bunny kits racing to the house at her call. And this scared Hallow whom took a step back.

"Better get ready to serve Hallow." Bonnie chimes.

He wasn't...but either way he had to. The bunny swarm closed in on the house and stumbled into their home, all chattering of things or begging for some supper. Bonnie and the cat soon were busy passing plates of stew to the children as they took gingerly.

"Mom?!" a feminine voice called from the little swarm. "Who is that over there?!" Hallow knew she was mentioning himself, he felt a little offended.

"Mind your manners sweetie. That is our guest and he is staying with us for a while." answered Bonnie.

Pushing away the questions subjecting him the cat passes many soup bowls to the bunny kits. It took a while but after a few minutes of passing and saying grace the swarm gobbled down every last drop of soup. Hallow was only taking his first few sips by the time they were done.

And as fast as they came was the same as they left, sometimes he wondered if this was more to realism or a cartoon. But he already knew the answer to that. Bonnie gives Hallow her gratitude for his helping hand on her side of work, suggesting tomorrow to help with Stu next. It might cause some brusies on the muscles and bones but they were bruises nonetheless. And the very next day they would finally allow him to leave, such a relief.

"You probably must be going somewhere since you aren't from around here. May I take a guess?" says Bonnie.

For a moment that caught him off guard but he remains calm."Sure go ahead." was his reply.

For a moment there was a pause in silence, letting the lagomorph take time in collecting her words. When those words had come out it was like she had read his mind, or at least make a close accurate prediction.

"You want to head to Zootopia so that you can start your life being what you truly want to be."

Hallow blinks in surprise. "Wow...that was right on point." but in reality he lied, though the purpose was similar. He didn't want to tell her that.

Bonnie nods. "Yes I've seen it before, my daughter had wanted to become the first bunny cop in Zootopia." wait a minute that seems familiar. "No matter how many looked down on her she was able to push through as Valedictorian of her class, and now she is one of the most successful units of the police force."

"Her name is Judy right?" piecing the picture on his mind.

Her smile looked aged, like hearing it so many times before, "That's right. She never gave up even if the world was against her. Eventually she pulled through and now look where it has gotten her."

A smile etches across the feline's face, she has seen her daughter all grown up doing what she had dreamed of doing. From the start to the finish her mother had watched from afar and prayed for her safety...even when it initially did not turn out so well. Sure Bonnie is worried for her daughter, but what kept her hopes up is that the police workforce is what Judy had always wanted to be so she was sure that she will be fine.

The cat drew on more paper to pass the time as the lagomorph does her chores, making sure that the speed of his hand was only on par with a sketch artist in avoiding suspicion. There was no real purpose with what he drew, it was only mere practice for future drawing. A landscape here and objects there he drew a great quantity of things. The sun had almost set beneath the horizon of burrows. The kits from earlier now stumbled into the household, drained with fatigue from their time of fun. It was amazing how they expend so much energy.

Hallow himself felt a yawn already crawled out of his throat, he did not exactly do anything but he was somehow exhausted. To sleep with the family Hallow was offered a blanket and pillow while the rest turned back to their beds. Minutes passed and every bunny had had falled into a deep soothing sleep.

All except for the feline...

He needed to keep this up, this act of an identiy in this world. And if things go smoothly then he'll be out of their hairs...fur? Well either way once he is gone they won't remember him for long. This was the way things are. Sighing in shallow meloncholy he closes his eyes and follows along with those who slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Hallow extends a yawn when the sun shines down from the windows to his face. Weary eyes open with a breath of air, it surely is refreshing. Bonnie was already distributing breakfast to their two hundred seventy-five children as they vanish into the outside world for a day of fun. The children were all obtaining there breakfast, it has an attractive aroma as it tickled the very nose of the feline. But something sends him on red alert.

It was this, "Whoa! Look at these drawings!"

"They look weird! But they look so cool!" another chuckles.

Terror surges through Hallow's veins, stumbling right off the couch and shoving through the children. Well...at least he made sure not to be too rough with the kits. What he saw nearly made him scream like a toddler. The children were observing his drawings which was something he was rather okay with. But he saw some crayons or colored pencils...that is what he was scared of.

One of the bunnies held a crayon in his hands. "Some improvements will make this drawing even better!"

For the cat time seemed to slow down like the very air had become honey. Eyes widen to the sight of the crayon slowly inching closer to the paper, and terror took control. Everything had become a blur, by the time the feline gained awareness of his surroundings the drawings were safely catered in his hands and not a single speck of misplaced color to be seen.

"Where did the picture go?" says the one with a crayon.

Shaky hands make the sound of paper flopping, many eyes turn to Hallow whom in turn looks back at them. Hallow's breath was shallow as if he panicked, he obviously was. Clasping the very eight portraits with his hands was one thing he didn't want to let go...he really needed these portraits. There was a silence between the two, a pressure of fear building inside him. He felt like running away, running and hiding from anyone and everyone.

"...Kids you need to respect other people's property." good catch Bonnie.

Each kit was mumbling to one another as a debate over the agreement of their mother's testament. And since mother knows best, everyone had agreed to the statement. Cluster by cluster the mosh pit of bunny kids ran out for their usual fun. Though a few give suspicious glares at the feline they otherwise ignored what he did.

Hallow on the other hand knew exactly what happened, he reacted out of fear because he treasured those portraits. One could say that they are his friends or family. But that was impossible...how can eight drawings be the family of one? Well Hallow considered them as family, and there was no judging that.

But it was time for the abyssinian to get to his next line of work. "I'll be heading out to help Stu. See you until then Bonnie." waving the bunny wife farewell.

Upon walking over to the carrot farm behind the barn, it was seen that the elder bunny farmer had already started working. It was reasonable since he needs to sell his crops.

The old hare srood up from his business. "Ah good timing Hallow, I needed a bit of a break from yesterday. Mind if you pull up the carrots while I use thirty minutes? It's pretty simple carrot pulling."

"Yes I can do that." said the nodding cat.

Stu was greatly relieved to see he can finally rest the aches of his aging spine and heads off to sit on his chair just at the front porch. This left Hallow alone at the carrot patch. And since he was alone, that meant he could do some 'performance'. With no one to watch, and after checking multiple times, the abyssinian begins picking the carrots. It was rather fast as the feline nearly blurs when engaging movement. With each pick of a carrot he tosses them into the basket, quite the distance away. From the bunny's labor combined with his at least half of the crops have been harvested.

Hallow stops himself from picking another carrot. "Hmm...I shouldn't take too much. It'll reach suspicions if I take too many."

So after doing that little performance how much time did he use? There wasn't a clock around, nor a watch but he could do one more thing. Since light is absorbed by the pupil of his eye Hallow imagines a clock manifest just above his pupil to see the time. As reaction to his mental command the light condenses into solidity, taking the form of a clock.

But to reassure the accuracy of his time expense he wires the hard-light clock to his own epoch, the hands rewind anticlockwise and eventually stop a quarter after nine. The long hand of the clock fortunately did not rewind halfway across the clock, however it did a fourth of the way...it meant that he took 15 minutes.

The feline was rather proud of himself as he picked away half of the carrot crop in half the time needed. So then all he had to do was wait! Hallow fell outside of the farm square and plopped himself onto the emerald grass below.

And snored...

...

...

"Hallow? You okay?"

"Hah-! Wha...? Oh sorry..." Hallow must've fallen asleep until Stu woke him back into reality. A blush from Hallow and a chuckle from Stu was in exchange.

"You must be the one to easily tucker out. Don't worry, I'll finish the rest."

The cat attempts to stumble back up to his feet, drunk with fatigue. "N..No don't. I can do this, just let me finish it..f-for you."

Stu chuckles again, "Don't worry, there's a bit of a festival opening this morning. I want you all rested up so you can see it."

Hallow's eyes lit up upon the word "festival". Hallow loves all times of celebration, and of course who wouldn't? So Hallow nods meekly out of his tired state to trudge back into the house and snooze right on the couch.

...

...

He couldn't even blink.

What an ironic situation this turned out to be. His body turns right back up as Bonnie was still doing some chores around the house. Something nagged at the back of his mind, mainly the festival they were all going to. What was that festival actually?

Hallow was already asking the question. "Excuse me miss, is there some kind of event happening today?"

"Stu must have told you to about it while at work." she was right about that...sort of. "I believe he was talking about the Carrot Days Festival. It has a pretty nice play that the kids participate in about Zootopia. You just have to wait until noon."

Eyes light up like the Sun. "A show?! I wanna participate!"

"Aren't you a bit too old for that?" the elder rabbit chuckled.

Hallow makes something up. "I had some experience with effects. Maybe I can do something to make it better!"

Bonnie smiled. "Well I gotta talk to the teacher about it. She's the one directing the play."

With such energy pent up Hallow couldn't wait for the play. Nodding rapidly the cat runs outside wanting to run all the way there. But wait...where was the Carrot Days Festival? The feline runs over to Stu whom was almost finished picking the carrots.

"Where is the Carrot Days Festival?!" practically yelling.

Stu was a bit surprised with his outburst. "Whoa looks like someone is a bit excited, well if you want to know where the festival is it's just a kilometer or two that way." raising his hand he points south. "But don't get too eager on going immediately I still need to finish out the rest of the crops." and fortunately there was only a single square space left.

With a rapid nodding head the feline heads back into the household and made sure his drawings were there. Unfortunately...they weren't. It was nowhere to be seen. Multiple possibilities played in mind as the most vivid was the kits drawing on the portraits. This was a severe blow to his heart, Hallow lets loose a blood curdling scream as if he was being impaled by a knife. Bonnie was there to react as she turned about with a shocked expression.

"Hallow! A-Are you alright?!"

"Aaahh...hhaaa...hheeaahhh..." Hallow's trembling hands direct to where his drawings were. The trauma was so severe that he couldn't form words. Though was he exaggerating all this? Yes...yes he was.

A few repeated observations lead to the conclusion. "O-Oh! Your drawings! I was too busy to do anything about it, but Mint and some other kids had taken those drawings of yours and went to their room."

Upon finishing his flight up the stairs now came a wide bit lengthy hallway. Dozens of doors were checkered side to side from one end to another, and Hallow guesses that each room is probably just as big as the next. But right now was not the time for estimation as he needed to find those drawings before it was too late. Shuffling down the hallway the cat makes use of his peripheral vision to quickly scan through the name labels at the front door. There were five names on each door and one of them is bound to have Mint on one of them.

A minute or so pass with the feline swiping his head around to find just one name in this wooden haystack. He moves forward, a total of two hundred feet was closed as Hallow finally found Mint's room and practically threw the door open.

Sun orange irises focuses on four others of grass green, amethyst, hazel, and hot pink. Then the focus turns to the drawings, so far they have no types of errors to be seen. The Abyssinian stared back at the four bunnies, shock was holding their mouths shut to say anything.

"Umm...may we help you sir?" the emerald eyed bunny asks of the cat.

There was a pause in his sentence but he still answers nonetheless. "...Yes I need your help please. Can you tell me where my drawings were? I was pretty sure that I left them on the table." and he was doing that on purpose to at least make them feel guilty for doing so.

And it worked, the emerald eyed bunny had some blush on her cheeks while the other three either look directly at her or veered their eyes away as the casual means of deceit. The emerald eyed bunny walks up to the cat and offers back his portraits of eight, the feline in return smiles at her honesty.

Though something did cross his mind, "Say, are you the one named Mint?"

The rabbit smiles sheepishly. "Yes, yes that is my name. Mint Hopps." from order of colored eyes she points out the rest of the bunnies. Starting with the one with purple eyes, "That over there is Jane." now to hazel. "Her name is Amber." and the one with hot pink. "And that's Melissa, the more quiet one out of us three." Melissa waves her hand ever so slightly.

Well at least that gave him information on who he is dealing with. But a pang of guilt knocked on the feline of his...maybe they were only looking at his pictures rather than drawing on them like he initially thought. Perhaps he was a bit too harsh on the four, make sure to keep your cool there Hallow.

But first he needed to confirm his suspicions. "So what were you doing with my drawings?"

Amber was the fist to speak up on the answer, perhaps she is the more talkative out of the four. "We just wanted to take a look at them, they're pretty cool."

Hallow initially thought boys would be interested with something such as that. "Is that so? They don't seem very special." after all they were just portraits.

"They really are! Especially these!" Jane waves her finger over to the human, lucario, and the border collie. "Are they original?"

He guessed that in this dimension they were. "Yeah, I made them from the ground up."

And from there Hallow was sucked into a vortex of questions that all needed answering. Though his patience allows him to not only answer, but to also provide them with detail. The feline lost track of time as their curious minds delved into. And with such curiosity they all had, the questions just kept on coming. There was a clock just above the door, the cat looks up to this clock and realized that much time has passed.

They seemed to notice as well. "Shoot! It's time to go to the Carrot Days Festival!"

The rabbits dart around the room for preparation, changing their clothes within a blur. Hallow had to admit they had good reflexes with that speed, they didn't even cause his plain white shorts to sway in their gusts. They zip right out of the room to leave the cat once again in the dust. He sighs, trudging back out of the house once again to find the rest of the bunny kits had also gathered around to what seemed like a bus, 50 feet or so in length. With Stu and Bonnie already taking up two seats, that signaled the mash of kits to rush right into the bus and taking their seats as well. And even though it was perfect for the family, there was not enough room for that one single extra passenger named Hallow.

"H-Hallow! You can sit with me!" Melissa softly cried out.

The feline scuffles through the narrow walkway, it was hard since the bus was also made for bunnies as well. Melissa was sitting with another bunny he did not know of, though he did not mind. He had an idea. He gently lifts Melissa from the seat, she too was not expecting this. And taking place of Melissa was Hallow whom sat his rump on the empty space next to the window.

Along the ride, the feline was the only one to say nothing and keep his thoughts to himself while the rest of the children around him were socializing. He thought of many things, what to do while he was here and who to make friends. But no matter how many thoughts he conjures there was always one that was on his mind. He needed to complete his task, his very first. A great burden was placed on his shoulders, and Hallow knew he was the only one capable of holding such burden. This world he walks on is a light that beams across the grey, he needs to secure it.

His thoughts made the world a blur, until Bonnie announced, "We're here!"

Snapping out of his thoughts the cat had noticed the festival that he was staring directly at, his head was too far in the clouds to notice. From the view of the window it was a simple looking festival, there wasn't anything a carnival would have. Though the cat did not mind, a festival is a festival one way or another. There were tents with various bunnies selling assorted vegetables could see a few games in other places as well.

Melissa was tugging at his hand, which he notices as they rush out of the bus and straight into the festival. Many kids were already occupying the games. All those prizes just within a tantalizing reach, but first needed to be earned through their skill. But of course it was all fun and games nonetheless. Though it seems that Melissa Hopps did not seem to be interested in any of them at all. And despite being much weaker in physical terms she was dragging the much taller cat around as he stumbled to stay on two legs. He was dragged into the building with the little kit, this one seemed much taller and wider than the tents around the area.

Inside the building were rows of seats and a giant stage in the very end of the room where some kids of a variety of species were piecing together a play. Hallow could barely contain his excitement as he wheezes out a high pitched lengthy squeal. Melissa and the others turn their heads to face the feline whom made such noise. The fear was quick as it quickly grips it's hands to his throat, which only made things worse by provoking an eerie silence.

The words he wanted to say were being choked by an invisible noose. "Uh...umm, I...I-I came here to...participate?"

There was the teacher, another bunny with stormy night irises that stood out from all of the eyes peering at him. If he was right then this bunny was the teacher, probably a bit obvious from her uniform and the aura of authority around her. He knew she was going to be the hardest to convince out of all of them.

"I see, though we didn't request for volunteers. Sure we could use an extra hand or two but it isn't that much. Where did you come from?" the question struck him like lightning, he still had no knowledge of Zootopia and here he was needing to provide an answer with something he does not know of.

"Don't worry Mrs. Lois. He's here from the Filming Department to help with our play!" that... was a pretty good lie.

And Hallow would make sure to let loose ends meet. "Yes. My name is Hallow, my name is a bit complicated. I came here on my own account to help out."

It seems that it was enough to convince the teacher. "Well... alright. Just see what you can do okay? I'll he helping off with the props." and with that she runs off to the back stage.

Well now that it was over the feline needed to figure out how to exactly put on the "special effects" that he said. He could use his performances to make that happen, but he finds it pivotal to make it as real as possible. Hallow looks back down at Melissa where she smiled as a way of gratitude for the assistance. In his mind he brainstormed of different ways of performance approach...he found the most reasonable.

"Um, Melissa? I need your help one more time." the cat murmured to her ear.

"Yeah what do you need?" she would ask.

Hallow brainstormed again to find a good explanation for his actions. "...I used to practice a bit of magic tricks when I was younger. That was six years ago and I'm sixteen now, I probably have a trick or two up my sleeve so can you help me with one trick and give me some kind of quilt?"

"Sure. Just give me a moment." she dashed off into the backstage as well.

This left the feline to sit on one of the folded chairs of the theatre. However doing so wasn't really giving him a convincing advantage to the kids around him. Some of them were wearing costumes and others pushing props around. Every once in a while he could find a pair of their eyes skimming to him in suspicion. Tiny bits of sweat dampened his fur from his nervousness, he needed to quickly make proof of his profession or else he will be kicked out.

But in his favor, Melissa managed to skip back to him with a simple stitched mosaic quilt in hand. Thanking the bunny for her service the feline placed his hands underneath the quilt, now the performance can begin.

He imagines a simple laptop, the kind designed for programming and artisan works. The only problem with making such a product is that he does not know the brand used in this world for such things. It was a game of dice, and he only hoped that either they won't pay much attention, or that they won't question it. Well here goes nothing...Hallow imagines the laptop in his hands, just underneath the quilt. A few of the kids were looking at what his performance was, he tries to ignore them to the best of his ability. Within a second there was a sudden shift in mass, the laptop has now been created. Reeling one hand back he pinches the top of the quilt and yanks to reveal a simple laptop of silver sleek design. Many of the children were impressed judging by the "ooh" and "aah" that he can hear dancing around him.

"Alright...let us start the improvements." Hallow joins in with the group staff.

Despite being a self proclaimed special effects staff of a filming company he needed to keep an eye on himself. He cannot allow himself to take too much control of the play. The only thing he asked for a was a giant opal glass frame. Somehow they did have what he asked, he did not expect that. With some help of the predators and their strength the glass frame was set just in front of the background of the setting. And now to make sure this was possible, within some files that he manifested, Hallow connects his laptop to a projector and opens a simulation of a red ball bouncing. The projector simulates the image into light, and the ball bouncing can be seen bouncing right inside the opal glass. This is good progress! With having this job in handy he could blend in with the crowd, and good thing he made it up ahead of time as well! Now the rest of everyone was finishing up with their parts, the feline too was making sure that the devices used can be run smoothly. So much time had passed since he first arrived, he noticed on a clock that it was three thirty, two and a half hours since he first arrived.

"Alright everyone! Get in your places it's almost time to start!" Mrs. Louis announced.

The kids scramble to their designations, Hallow was the only one who could be in front of the curtain. Though he had to be relocated to the more center part of the theatre for the projector to properly project the special effects he created. Within minutes the families rush in, half of them because their children were in the lead. While most parents were too busy trying to reign in their kids, and the youthful just being themselves, some did throw a few glances at the cat. No wonder as well, he practically towered over them in height. He was a sight that was hard to miss.

Minutes later the families filled in as many seats as possible, some also were filling in the laps of the elders. The light dim, silencing the chitter that once scattered throughout the walls within the building. Undivided attention goes to the curtain unveiling the background of a thick jungle, Hallow looks to Mrs. Louis whom signalized his cue for the special effects. With the press of some keys, he transparent opal glass becomes a mist of fog for the jungle, blurring the background slightly with the effects giving that of the darkness of the moon shining it's faint light on the fog below. Melissa was wearing a simple swimsuit that matched her fur, starting the introduction while pretending to be alert yet oblivious.

"Fear...treachery...bloodlust," Melissa's voice was perfect for this, her usual quiet nature allowed her to make the perfect tone needed for the suspension. "These were the forces that ruled our world, the world where prey was scared of predator."

One of the kids was wearing the costume of a tiger, good thing the kid was actually a leopard because he pulled the snarl nicely. "And the predators, they had the uncontrollable, biological urge to maim, and maul, and-"

Suddenly the tiger costume kid rushes forth and smothers her face with his paws! Melissa screams in result as she plays the rest. She jumps back slightly while she launched pink confetti in the air to give that of ripping flesh, afterward she kept on screaming "Blood!"as she winds out two long pink strings for intestines as she kept on screaming. And this was a surprise, when she fell on the floor there was a ketchup packet beneath that swimsuit, a lot of them actually, because when she dropped... SPLAT! Blood splashes like an egg chucked to a wall, making a well made mark on the floor. She twitches a little to give a sense of fleeting life from her body. Melissa is really good, she might become an actor someday.

"And death..." she whispers.

The leaves and bushels of the foreground take their leave, while Melissa brought herself to stand back up.

"Back then the world was divided in two. Vicious predator," and on cue the leopard hisses. Hallow adds the effects to the background on the left, an image of a tiger roar flashes into light then fades as fast. With an add of an actual tiger roar that echoes through the wall. This certainly got a jolt from the audience. "And meek prey." and for that comes the image of a bunny swaddled in white comes to life with the chorus of innocence.

Two boxes lower from the ceiling as the kids make slight adjustments to assure they were trapped by the box. From his position Hallow made sure the effects being implemented were timed just right. Two cubes were slowly taking shapes from smaller linear pieces from the outside, placed where the boxes would be in the foreground. He pays close attention to the timing, and the moment the cardboard touches the ground he makes the adjustment as well for the effects to make full cubes to encompass the boxes.

"Over time, both species have gone pass their primitive and savage ways," and this was where the script was flipped. "It took a while, but all mammals could finally accept one another. And with both sides as one they built the one and only great city of Zootopia!"

The thick jungle recedes into the back stage, in its place was a vast and vibrant city that was endowed with the sun that reflects off the entire settlement. Hallow only felt a pang in his heart, so close yet so far. But he did not worry, he was almost there.

As the city emerged Hallow typed in another effect as a blue pearl, almost like an ocean the size of a basketball, rises from beneath the invisible opal screen. The crowd was amazed by the graphic of this pearl, but they soon had the most admiration as that very pearl explodes like a firework, other fireworks join in to make an array of differentiating light shows for the crowd to enjoy.

Hallow was rather pleased with himself, seeing how realistic it got as there was a minor blast of wind that would shake the foundation in a slight tremor. It looked like it came from the back stage, whoever did that was really good. The audience laughed and chortled as some of their hats flew right off and they tussled to get them back. The feline felt like laughing as well, but for some reason... there was something nagging in the back of his head. It didn't feel right, that wind, something told him that wasn't on purpose.

But he had to keep focus. The winter leopard was playing an uptune segment while the actors of this play kept up with their role. "Over in Zootopia, any mammal can be anything!" exclaimed the leopard. "And I'm going to be..." he throws off his cloth to unveil a regal business suit. "A real estate agent!" and on cue the opal glass reflects the sudden sprout of towering skyscrapers, taking a third of the entire screen to his side-

 _Rrrhhrrrnnnn..._

...what was that? Hallow felt like that inhuman groan vibrate his insides, instilling fear that surged through his body. Eyes dart to see the source, quickly to find an anomaly that was right in front of the stage. It seemed it was invisible to the normal eye, because nobody in the theatre scream or even as much as glance over to this creature.

It was completely pitch black, circular eyes that were bloodshot because they do not blink...and seem to go on forever from its hollow gaze. The hands only had three digits that end in long curved claws, ears that point back and was so long and thin they droop from gravity, and lacking a mouth. Feet like talons along with the front half of its chest and belly exposed like a window to show the orgasn that function inside...almost similar to a human...but so different at the same time. The body dripped like it was made from ink, tracing a sloppy trail to where it stands.

Why didn't he notice it, judging by how no one notices it must be only visible to him. But he should have seen it earlier right? No wait... that blast of wind must have been the signature of some kind of entrance so travel time can be cut. And judging by how there is only one this must be a scout. Hallow gulped as he realises things took a turn for the worse, he has less time to finish the mission now. But if things go his way, they might be slower than they seem.

...an astronaut!" he snapped back to continue with the special effects as an astronaut suit stood behind the wolf holding a blue flag, garbled speech mentioning the moon landing.

Meanwhile the creature looks at the children on the stage it set itself on, keeping an eye Hallow watches as it merely circled around the three as they continue their act. But a warning signal flared in Hallow, the fur standing on his back as he knew what was coming next. He could see it, the way the muscles clench before a pounce, and the arms as well for a strike, and judging by the direction it's facing, oh no. This abomination is going to attack Melissa!

Hallow had to do something, but he can't just outright fight the creature, it will expose him! Hallow needed to deal with this situation without causing any attention. And the light bulb lights up in his head. He knew what to do next.

"And I'm going to be…" the creature was stalking closer and closer to Melissa as she suddenly tore off her gown to reveal a police officer uniform. "A cop!"

Now's the time! Hallow reaches out with his hand as the opal screen suddenly flashes an intense light as a police officer badge takes the form of a shield as stars of six surround the badge. The light burns the creature like toast, eventually sinking into ashes before fading into the light.

"Whew…" the cat silently huffed. That was a close call. The crowd was in awestruck for finding such an epic special effect for the bunny. They were on the point of cheering, time to drive it home Melissa!

"Here in Zootopia, boundaries and ethics matter so little in such a great city." Said Melissa. "Predator or prey, we are mammals one and the same." The leopard follows up. "Anyone can be anything in Zootopia, only problem is…what do you want to be?" with the wolf, bunny, rabbit, and leopard, they all join in a trio. "A place where dreams come true, Zootopia!" Hallow smirked, sounding so much like Disney.

Clapping and roaring of voices crowd the theatre as the cast take their place and bow their heads. But Melissa didn't, why didn't she? Because she was waving at Hallow! Taking notice the Abyssinian rushes through the crowd of leg high bunnies to take place in the very front and kneel, hand pressed gently on his heart like a knight of chivalry. People were shaking their hands, all thanking for the great play, some were even asking if they could make it even better. On that day Hallow had never shaken as many hands as he did.

Time passes as Hallow was now free to enjoy the rest of the day with the games available. Melissa stayed beside him as she would sometimes ask him to win prizes for her….he only got one, a turtle plush. Soon many of the bunny kits were rushing back to the entrance, was it time to go home already? And just like before the feline was dragged by the bunny whom got into the bus and let him sit so she could be on her lap again.

The bus ride was full of chatter as usual, the kids showing off their prizes or telling little stories about how they played their games. On the other hand, there was a cat whom was worried sick. That creature…it was one of his objectives. Well…not exactly, but part of his objective. There is something big coming to this world, and on this earth Hallow was the only one capable of dealing with such a threat. It was only a matter of time before chaos ensues. But down in his heart the feline knew there was still hope. There could be a way to stop them…hopefully destiny and fate will go in those directions.

As the family had their fun and finished business, all the kits were sent off to their beds for rest. Many of them were disappointed for such an early bed call, but Hallow was sure that no one is going to sleep for a while.

…well maybe him and the parents of this kid crowd.

Before he sets on the couch, Melissa had stood before the feline with a black cat plush in her hands, stretched out to offer to the feline. This caused the feline to tilt his head in wonder, won't she get in trouble for staying up so late. Though he did also think why is she here, that's when it hit him in an obvious way.

"For me?" asked Hallow.

"Yeah it is. You can keep it, if you go to Zootopia tomorrow then at least keep my plush as a reminder that no matter where you go, there will always be a place for you here in the Hopps family."

Hallow released a shuddered breath, he had never seen such compassion in his eyes. "Thank you…" taking the plush. "I'll be sure to keep it with me wherever I go."

"You're welcome Hallow, come back sometime okay?" she embraced the feline in a hug that the cat hadn't felt in quite a while. "And say hi to Judy for me."

"Hehe…don't worry. I'm planning on meeting her." Hallow was the first to let go of this warm embrace. Melissa giggled and soon quietly ran off to bed, leaving the feline alone with the couch as he covers his body with the blanket and dozes off into slumber.

….

….

He wished he could stay here in this world, hoping it will come true.


	3. Chapter 3

"Psst…wake up Hallow."

"Mmm…huh what?" his head springs out from the comfort of the pillow. Eyes look down to find Bonnie and Stu before him. What was the occasion?

"Hey there Marshmallow Hallow."…did he just really do that? Of course he did, well that was quick time lapse for a nickname, just two days. "Since you're going to Zootopia tomorrow we would like to give you something for your departure."

This was certainly generous of them, first Melissa had given him a plush and now both of them are offering him something for him. What will they give him this time? Plus, Hallow felt like this family can sometimes be way too generous.

"What is it?" their hands apparently brought out a suitcase…it was a bit small but it looks like the size is just enough.

"We didn't need this anymore, so we thought we could give it to you." Bonnie adds something, "Also, Melissa told us about her giving you the cat plush so we thought we should get you something to hold it."

"Oh thank you very much." Hallow would retrieve the bag from the two. "This will really help. But I have to ask, why are you helping me so much?"

"Well…" ushered Stu, "We're not very sure exactly, even if it was just a gut feeling and all, it felt like you're very important. Like the world needs you. So I guess from the gut feeling, we wanted to help you get started when you go to Zootopia."

Bonnie added on. "There's a plastic bag of cash from the festival yesterday. About twenty percent of the total earnings, it should be enough to get you somewhere."

The feline could not believe it, the couple was going out of their way just to help him move forward. That meant there were certain things that were crossed out of the to-do list on blending in. He guessed that some god looking over this world has blessed the feline for luck and fortune on his journey. But still…his heart was overwhelmed with gratitude as the feline swooped them up and embraced them with a hug.

"Whoa! Ahaha, watch the back Hallow I'm getting pretty old you know." Stu chuckled as his wife joined in and hugged him back.

Within minutes Hallow was at the train station, Bonnie and Stu were the only ones there to witness of his departure. The train station was pretty modern when observed, and judging by the railings it was powered by electricity which turned into motion. The Abyssinian had packed the things he now own, the black cat plush, the laptop he created from thin air, a bag of fifty dollars with some spare change, and the eight drawings. This was it, one of the great milestones of his journey, the way to Zootopia.

"Once again I thank you all for your hospitality. Maybe someday I'll visit you again." Bowing in respect for the couple.

"The honor is ours Hallow, just make sure to be successful out there okay?" Bonnie smiles as he nods in response.

" _Next stop: Zootopia."_ Announced the speaker.

The train comes passing by and slowly comes to a halt, the double slide doors open where various mammals were on the train. Other mammals were making their entry, Hallow managed to wave one final goodbye to the two before hustling into the train and hold a hand pole. Hissing can be heard as the door closes and once again the announcer utters the next destination, then off the train went as he managed to sneak one final glance at the Hopps Family.

Taking a left curve and already the sign of the Bunny Burrows population can be seen passing behind them as the population was always infinitely rising. From the look of the window, Hallow can now see the city in the distance, its glory and glamour was like he always imagined it would be. Almost like a dream come true if many would think about it. And this train was pretty fast seeing how it crossed so many miles within seconds. Another curve to the left now sends the direction of the train towards the city in the distance, the feline could no longer contain his excitement as he lets go of the hand pole to rush to the very front of the train as it makes a beeline through the very terrains supported by a minor terraforming device known as the humongous air conditioning systems that transfer temperature to their well respected regions…all of that surrounded by a watering hole that encompassed the entire city.

And in his ears was a different song to fit his way when witnessing the beauty of Zootopia. ( watch?v=HjNvMxn9kR4)

First passing the Sahara Square there were various sand dunes that hide the hidden region from normal eyes. But this train passes right through like a magic carpet as the housing was revealed, the train passing by a hotel shaped like a skyscraper palm tree. Various pools of water stand out in forming an oasis, and when looking below there were camels that trot in packs within an open area. Making a few more turns the locomotive makes an entry through one air conditioning walls onto the cold Tundra Town.

Hallow was met by blasts of snow from small pumps from the ground, making pillars of white dust in the sky, pine trees litter the open, the train crossing over a large abysmal pool of freezing water, soon to reach the next town with a stone throw away. Once in view, it can be observed that some of the buildings had some ice encasing around or just snow piling up on the rooftops. Small rivers transported some of these inhabitants on little pads of ice where they would go on with their business. The cat's had eyes of wonder when looking at such a wondrous city, soon darkness closed in as the train has now gone through a tunnel onto the next region, the Rainforest District.

The glass of the train was bombarded by droplets of water that fell from sprinklers well hidden within the canopies. The apartments were within the trees themselves, connected by bridges entwined with vines that crawled from tree to tree. There were walkways beneath for those in travel to this area, and those walkways were also connected by bridges as for easier access. There were blimps and sky trams being operated so that traveling from region to region will be a breeze, and quite possible there were other ways for the regions to get around as well. It's just that he hasn't found them yet. And the final region, the heart of Zootopia itself. Trees were neatly scattered across the entire city, the buildings were stacked with one another just like any other densely populated area, but for some reason Hallow knew it was the same…but at the same time it felt different. The sound of decelerating motion alerts the feline that they were approaching the train station, coming to a stop as Hallow rushed back and comes before the door, just in time as they open and the Abyssinian shuffles out with haste to the exit where he could finally see the city from their view. Assorted mammals were walking across the open area as the feline spun around to look at it all.

And last but not least. Que the welcoming, "I'm Gazelle, welcome to Zootopia."

Hallow felt right at home.

…

…

"Alright, this is your apartment. Room 421." Said the hotel staff.

Hallow managed to scrape a hotel room with the money he had. And since he had none that means he needed to get a job in order to keep up with the half-month fee of a hundred-fifty. But the cat kept his hopes up, he can find a job that can satisfy this task. Until then, he can't just assert himself into the film company. That would be too quick of ascension and would stir questions. For now this will settle, within two weeks he'll manage to make an entire diploma for the Filming Company.

A simple studio room with a kitchen on the left and the bed always being at the center of the apartment, there was a table on the right corner along with a large drawer holding up a television set with the closet being right next to it. An air conditioner can be seen in the far left corner of the room. The bathroom was also on the left right next to the bed and finally a little cupboard with a lamp on the right sight of the bed. There was a simple khaki color to the room, small differences of coloring from the top to bottom with a carpet floor.

The stag gives him a pair of keys. "Please don't lose them, also please make sure not to be loud, there are some elderly within your area. Other than that…enjoy your stay."

Nodding appreciatively resulted in the stag to take his leave, which the feline greatly appreciated since he would prefer some alone time at the moment. Immediately he slumped on the bed, feeling exhausted from the long walk in finding a suitable place for a temporary stay. But first, a security check.

"No cameras...no peephole on the door…only thing is a window view to the outside of the city…woohoo!" Hallow flops onto the bed with a relieved sigh. "Alright you guys. Time to let you all out of there."

Who was he talking about? Was it the portraits he was talking to? But they were just drawings, not actual people. But in this case, they were people to Hallow...

And this is where the magic comes in…

The sheets of paper were spread out individually within an uneven margin, but they were still kept on the very floor of the studio room. Hallow first needed to choose which portrait to awaken, but waking them all at once may cause unintentional havoc and can turn people's heads towards him. So the first to come out of the portrait was…Dream the human. The feline gently lifts up the portrait sheet and turns it to face the ground, standing up as he shook the paper to turn this picture into an actual human being. How it works is that the Abyssinian is using his perspective to give their bodies a form of size, the room was a medium for them to take a location and form into what the portrait had been drawn, that's why he didn't want the bunny kits from earlier to scribble on them.

The moment of truth came as he took away the paper, finding the human lying down on the floor with unblinking sapphire eyes, skin just barely pale with the body of a ten year old. Black hair would stream down his face, making a curtain on the right side as the pure white clothes swaddled his body with both shirts and pants on. He didn't wear shoes while on the carpet, Hallow temporarily wanted it to be like that.

The human being stood up with a smile when eyes met his creator. Dream merely stood just to Hallow's shoulders in height. "Hello Hallow. How are you doing?"

"Hehe, I have been doing well Dream. How does your new body feel?" he would ask first of the human.

Looking at his hands and body, he gives this new form a couple of tests as he would twists his joints and do some light jumps. "It feels a bit heavier and…somewhat empty. You have created me from a drawing, which must be the reason for this feeling."

Hallow winced. "Yeah sorry Dream, you're going to have to deal with that during our time here in this world. I can't make a perfect body."

"It is alright Hallow. Shall I proceed to awaken the others?" suggested the human.

"You may, however make sure to keep the others quiet since this area of the hotel is for the elderly. I couldn't find any other place with a cheaper rent." Hallow soon went on with his own business as he takes out the laptop he conjured and began searching for a suitable job for the rent.

And you know what is good on conjuring a laptop? You get to choose the power source. In this case it was being charged by Hallow's nervous system as the sense of touch would often cause stimuli with the nerves on the hand. When these nerves generate an electrical signal, some of that energy was transferred to the laptop battery. Essentially there was a feeling of slight numbness when holding it, but otherwise a very good decision on the source for charge.

While searching the web Hallow occasionally turned back to see the progress on the others' awakening. And it seems that the next one was Genesis the white domestic cat. Though his fur color was a pure white, the only color difference was his pale cream hair and crimson eyes. He too wore a simple white asset of clothes.

Hallow was searching through employment sights while listening to the little conversation they were having. "Hello Genesis, how are you?"

"I'm always good you know. Anyway, what are we doing here?"

"You and the others have been encased inside a portrait, Hallow drew us. My current task is to check status with the others."

"Oh I see, so what do I do now after I've been released?"

"…Hallow? What do the others do once they're outside the portraits?"

Hallow answered, "Just hang out until I find a suitable occupation. Make sure to keep the others quiet."

"Understood," said Dream. "Go on Genesis, make yourself at home."

The sound of a squeaky bed string signaled that Genesis took occupation of the bed at the moment. And for now the Abyssinian focuses on finding a job while Dream releases the others. And he didn't need to look back to know what they look like…he created them after all.

Glacies would be a black and white border collie, wearing a leather jacket with a tank top beneath, and jeans for the garments. His hair would be like that of a bowler cut and eyes of icy blue. Umbra would be the anubian colored jackal, which meant he was basically a black jackal with those long ears. Umbra didn't have any hair so instead there was head fur, and neon green eyes. He merely wore sweatpants and a hoodie, he was also the tallest out of the eight. Anima was the lucario of the group, almost twice the height of the average Pokémon. There wasn't much difference between him and the others, just having a thumb and purple eyes while lacking the chest and back-paw spikes…he wore nothing. Terra was a stag, probably as tall as the ones in this world. He had attire to that of those park rangers, and a slight bit of hazel hair between the antlers that dangles just between his leaf green eyes. Nova would be the lion, though instead of being a tan yellow like the ones in Zootopia, he was more of an orange color with a red orange mane. Eyes of a fiery orange would have a slight difference to Hallow's sun orange, and he wears an orange polo with khaki cargo pants. And then there was Aero, the bunny of the eight. Aero would probably the second to last in height but he was certainly much higher than the bunnies here in the city…if there were any. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, both cream colored just like his fur, and his eyes were golden along with his hair that look glued to the right.

But what worried Hallow was that Aero was the loudest out of all of them due to his hyperactivity, so how is he so quiet now? When looking back once more, he found Aero suckling on a jumbo swirly pop…huh…so that's how. Now that everyone was quietly waiting for his attention, Hallow managed to finish up signing a job form online for selling hot chocolate or hot coffee in Tundra Town. Pay was slightly above minimum wage, which was only up by a dollar, eight dollars twenty-five cents. Still it didn't require a scholarship, he'll ask Dream to make one later.

Standing from the chair he turns round as all eight were now looking at him. "Alright Dream. Give me a report on status check."

He replied for his report. "Status check implies that all eight of us are in full functional use. Though some of us are missing a few items, we are otherwise within recommended function parameters."

"Yeesh Dream," Nova huffed. "You always sound like a robot. Don't you ever put any emotion in them at all?"

"Only when blending in, or if it was necessary." said Dream.

"Well Dream isn't really going to go anywhere in public. Human's do not exist in this world including any human related species such as apes." Hallow would include himself in the conversation.

Genesis concluded the statement. "So that means I, Glacies, Umbra, Terra, Nova, and Aero are the only ones capable of interaction with the public."

"But you and Glacies are subspecies of the primary wild animals, so that means some heads might turn if you go out in public." Dream included. "You probably won't go out as much. Also, with the differentiating color with Umbra and Nova, some might also rouse suspicion but possibly otherwise they will remain unnoticed."

"I might be fine, but what are bunnies like here?" Aero would speak while continuing to suck on the swirly pop.

Hallow giggled. "For one thing, shorter than you."

"Can't I just say I'm a hare?" asked the bunny.

"No. Just…shorten yourself a bit when in public." Recommended the Abyssinian.

Dream checked in the refrigerator in the kitchen. "Where is your food and nourishments? You still need to eat despite your extended food diet."

The feline leader sighs. "I…spent it all when getting into this hotel."

The other seven begins to mumble to one another on the survival of their creator. So how is he going to get food now without money? He's got a job now, but he doesn't start working until tomorrow. This certainly was not good. But the human of the nine had an idea.

"Why don't I get some?" he would suggest.

Hallow gawked at him. "Are you crazy?! That's illegal! You can't just outright copy money."

And Dream corrected his creator. "Not forgery, obtaining. I'm going to turn myself into some sort of accessory for you to wear. Just go to a convenient store and look at the dollar bills or coins. I'll do the rest."

And before anyone could further continue the argument, Dream becomes a faint light that absorbs his form into a sphere and reshapes his body and composition to that of an actual bow. But Hallow was pouting, out of all the things he had to become…it had to be a bow.

"Um…can you be something else?" asked the cat.

 _Of course Hallow. Just one moment…_ and suddenly the bow had turned into a little earring clip.

For a moment there the Abyssinian cat was worried that he needed to pierce his ear for the ear ring clip to actually fit correctly, but it was only proved wrong as the ear ring merely pressed against the middle edge his right ear. When looking himself in the mirror, he had to admit he looked a bit cuter with the ear ring on. It sounded a bit narcissist, he pushed the embarrassment from his ears. From his walk he created a mental map, there was a convenient store obviously with a fuel station, which was also nearby a park and some other stores. Which meant Hallow choose a rather good location for temporary settlement. Only problem with that was the rent. But he'll meet the quota, he was sure of it.

"Alright you all, don't cause a ruckus while I'm gone okay?" he would ask of the seven.

"Okay." They all respond in unison…for a moment they sounded like kids when doing so.

The feline chuckled as he walks out the door and down a flight of steps, passing through the main entrance and strolls on the sidewalk. He tried to act casual, an expressionless face while he walked to the convenient store. But no matter how he acted, he could still hear a few voices standing upfront from the noise of the city. And all of them made him anxious,

 _What kind of mammal is that?_

There were even some conversations. _Dude, what kind of cat is that? Hey George, is that another panther?_

 _There is no way, he's too slim, and the spots on his eyes and hair do not match to that of a natural panther. He's something entirely different._

 _Then what is he?_

 _Well whatever he is, he better stay the hell away from us._

 _Weird…_

 _Odd looking…_

 _Unnatural…_

… _FREAK!_

…Hallow had enough. His pace increased, but it only attracted more and more attention from the other surrounding mammals. But the felid kept his cool and just maintained his walk, soon the eyes felt like they were vanishing from the invisible crowd that suffocated him. That was…until someone was pointing a phone at him. Losing all control of himself his legs move on their own as he made a full sprint towards the convenient store, swinging the door wide open and dashed inside. His breathing slowly stabilizes, observing the environment to only find two other customers and a couple of staff looking at him. Well at least it wasn't as intense as the mammals whispering under their breaths.

People resume their business, leaving the cat to his own as well. Well it was simple, he just needed to get some bread with peanut butter and jelly to suffice until he gets his pay. Grabbing some bread and two jars of both supplements Hallow would now observe as there was as a rhinoceros whom was also paying for his own share of products. While Hallow observed, Dream used his eye to scan the cash currency, and thankfully there was dollar bills along with some coins. Well that was a start, he managed to scan the five dollar bill and the one dollar, a quarter, and a nickel.

"Have a nice day." The cashier would say as the rhino would leave.

The ear clip was vibrating, Hallow wasn't sure what was happening to Dream, but whatever it was he hoped it would provide use in this current situation. Being in line with a few other customers gave him a bit of extra time, still it didn't help much as the line decreased one by one. And inevitably Hallow was now the mammal in the very front of the line. He handed the bread and jars over to the cashier as she scanned them for prices.

 _Check in your pockets._ Dream's voice echoed in his brain.

"Alright. That would be ten dollars thirty-five cents." said the cashier.

 _Alright Hallow, check your left pocket._

As instructed, the Abyssinian would check his left pocket as there was money, just the exact amount for the pay. The transaction was smooth, offering the money to the cashier as the bread and two jars were wrapped in a plastic bag then handed to him. And before he knew it the cat was already outside of the store and heading to his room.

Hallow sighed quietly. _Whew, I thought that was going to be forever._

Dream chuckled softly. _Don't worry, I took some money from differentiating mammals. Just small enough for them to not notice. But I must suggest that getting a credit card may help reduce future complications._

 _Yeah that will help. Can you get the others to do that? You can't just do all the technical stuff you know._ Mentioned the cat.

The human responds, _I can do that. But you know that not all of them are capable of technical work._

Both of them went silent afterward that mental conversation, the cat kept to himself and ignored any glancing eyes so he wouldn't sprint in public again. When moving back into the studio room, most of his other friends was still doing their own thing, and quietly was the thing that mattered in this area. Nova was eating mushrooms that he somehow obtained, Glacies, isn't really doing anything like Genesis, Anima, and Terra. Aero was finishing up the swirly pop.

"So how was the trip?" Terra would ask as a flower would sprout from his hand.

"Could have been better. But otherwise it was alright." Hallow placed the earring on the floor, flashing light indicates that Dream had now returned into a human form. "Alright. I need you guys back into your pages, I can't risk you all in exposure since I'm basically the only person here."

Many of them mumble some words to themselves, but otherwise they agreed on the situation and they would disappear one by one as if their timeline was erased…just fade into nothing. With Hallow now all alone, he checks the pages, all of the portraits had their faces on in the sheets just like before. Whew, what a day it has been. Body flops on the bed, refusing to move even an inch from the emotional and physical exhaust from today's events. Well, finding a decent home was one thing…he still needed to make a decent living to camouflage with the population. Though there was the temptation of using his power, doing so will cause exposure and it could potentially cause fate to turn against his favor. Hallow cannot risk that, pushing those concerning thoughts out of mind he would drift off into the dreamland as the concerns and worries flew away like the birds in migration.

…

…

…He forgot to set up an alarm. The moment both sun orange eyes snap open, the digital clock would be counting to half before eight. He only has thirty minutes before work starts! Hallow did everything he could to get ready in the morning, brush his teeth, take a shower, such and such. Unfortunately by the time he was done, he only had five minutes…and there was no way he could get to Tundra Town in five minutes! But Hallow thought fast and carefully, closing his eyes and focusing when he last saw Tundra Town, which was during the train ride. It didn't have full detail but it still was something better than nothing.

 _Somewhere in Tundra Town where I can't be seen._ He thought.

By opening his eyes, he realized that the scenery was all white…and cold. Oh no! He broke the fabric of space-time! No, wait…it tastes like water. This must be snow, so that meant he was inside Tundra Town already! He must be under some random pile of snow. Wriggling free he bursts from the snow pile with a roar, looking like he achieved victory. But from his cartoon act this had caused some adult and mammal kids to chuckle or heckle at him. To be honest, Hallow did not mind because if he saw that he would be laughing too. Paws scramble from the pile of snow and right to where a little arctic fox was tapping his fingers on the concession stand.

Hallow tripped but didn't fall, which the two would meet on an equal level since the fox is shorter than him. "So you came here on time? Well nearly, just a minute early. And what you did back there with the snow pile, pretty funny." his voice was somewhat polar opposite to what his cute and fluffy form betrayed, but he still heckled. "But don't do that again, it would be funnier if you weren't so close to being late so you could spend time to do that little stunt you pulled there, understand?"

"Yes I understand." Hallow would just reply.

"Anyway. Here's your pin," holding out a little shirt pin with the usual 'Hello! My name is insert name here'. "Make sure not to lose it. Your shift starts now, I got to go back to my station over at the subway asap." Walking away the arctic fox would hold up a hand as a way of farewell. "Good luck on your first day pal."

…That was fast. Hallow stood there on the seat looking clueless such as any idiot. Though because he borrowed Umbra's clothes that meant he was prepared for the long day of cold temperature. Umbra was a little reluctant at first but in the end he agreed to do so as long as he gets a replacement. AND as long as it wasn't white, so instead Umbra got a neon green set. So now began the day for work…eight hours of sitting there just retrieving money and passing out refreshments.

…

…

"Two coffees please." Said a voice.

Hallow was spacing out from his thoughts. "Oh sorry, got a little distracted."

"It's fine, just two coffees please." Asked the voice politely.

"And mine with extra cream thank you very much." Said another.

Huh, this is odd. There were voices but he wasn't seeing anyone on the stand. Perhaps because the mammals in this case were rather short, which is reasonable enough. Placing extra cream in another along with the lids and straws inserted, he brings both hands around them and lowers himself to offer to the customers.

"Alright, so which one of you ordered with extra cr-" Hallow froze in his tracks.

There was a bunny rabbit and fox next to one another, the rabbit was wearing a cream cotton jacket, her size obviously. Though she wore some regular knee length pants, she was otherwise completely snug and warm. The fox wore his classical Hawaiian textured shirt and khaki pants, though he wore some long sleeve undershirt for the cold. And from looking at them alone Hallow felt like his heart was going to transform into a bomb and explode.

"…are you alright?" said the bunny, waving her hand before his eyes.

Snapping out of trance again, "Oh sorry, which one wanted extra cream again?"

"That would be me." The fox removes the coffee from his hands.

Giving the black coffee to the bunny, he would make sure that his suspicions are right. "Are you two named Judy and Nick?"

Then the fox retorted, "I'm not sure if Judy and Nick are our names. Did you mean Judy and Nick as in one name or in separated terms?"

"Oh stop it fuzz tail." snickering at the vulpine. "And yes, my name is Judy, and the other over here is Nick."

"Don't wear it out Spots." Alright new record of being given a nickname, fifty seconds.

Wow, he could not believe this. Already his first day and he just met Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, oh man this was certainly going in the books. But he needed to make a good first impression. And what better to do so than a little magic trick?

"Wait, before you go…may I interest you in some magic trick I learned?" Hallow would plead.

With the exchange of looks they seemed to come to a silent agreement, well seeing at least one wouldn't hurt so much. "Yeah sure. What trick do you have up your sleeve?"

The feline giggles. "Oh not much really. Can I take a picture of you two together? I got my camera right here." flexing index finger and thumb.

Nick chuckled. "Oh I see, is it one of those tricks where you pull out a picture on us smiling?"…he was right on that one.

"Come on Nick don't spoil the fun." huffed the bunny rabbit.

Hallow shrugged off the copious predicament and performs his little magic trick. Taking both fingers into a right angle he snaps a picture of them as they took the position of them smiling. The feline mimicked the sound of a snapping camera, disconnecting the snapshot mimicry as he thought on how to exactly give their picture. There were a few coins in the tips jar, he surely could use one of these for this trick. Taking a single penny from the jar he flicks his finger to flip the coin into the air, clapping both hands onto the coin within its duration within the air. Bringing both hands back, he releases the coin to suddenly reveal that this penny had now turned into the exact picture.

"Oh wow, that was pretty good." complemented Judy.

"Still the same ending though, can't deny that." added Nick.

Saying their farewells the duo left off to wherever their plans were they might have. Hallow sighed in bliss, he could barely comprehend that just happened at such an early state. Still…he had four more hours until his shift is done, but he did not mind. The tips had risen up to two dollars fifty cents, and the arctic fox had come back to check up on him. He seemed rather pleased by his performance, shown by the money within the register.

"Well, looks like you did a pretty good job. Anyway here's your payment for your first day, hopefully it'll help you wherever you're planning to go." The vulpine handed him a bag of cash. Hallow knew he wasn't really going to get a check since he does not have a credit card yet. But being handed cash will have to do.

"Thank you, have a nice day." said Hallow as he slumps off the chair he sat on for eight hours straight, rubbing his butt from the numbing feeling from that time duration.

While walking down the sidewalk Hallow counted at least eighty-two dollars from his shift. Well he doesn't use any sort of motorized vehicle so taking the subway will do. And apparently, tickets were very cheap. Only ten dollars for a ticket back to Zootopia central. So upon traveling back to his room he had seventy-two dollars left in his little plastic bag. Hallow sets Dream outside of the portrait, asking him to obtain a credit card. With the laptop Dream was placing input and coding to make an artificial credit card account, erasing traces along the way to prevent being caught by online security. Now with nothing else to do, Hallow just goes limp right on the bed with the desire to rest.

…

…

…Something didn't feel right. It was conceived as more of a gut feeling than the knowledge of discomfort. The mind numbing symptom from his shift immediately left his body in a heartbeat to leave the feline on alert with the hair standing on his back. Hallow's instincts kicked in, almost like a waypoint on where to go. He didn't know why, but a part of his mind says to trust this.

"Dream, keep quiet and working on the credit card. I'll be heading out." the abyssinian says.

And it was as if the human read his mind. "Take someone with you for backup, just in case."

"How did you know?" confusion on his face.

"You are my creator, I have to keep an eye out for you to keep you safe." while typing, it can be seen that Dream was smiling.

…

…

"Ugh, why did we take this night shift in the first place?" Judy groaned while sipping her coffee.

"It's only temporary, until we get more people on the work force then we'll just have to fill in some shifts for the time being." Nick sipped his coffee as well. "But hey, on the bright side more big greens for the hard work we do."

"Well, I hope more people join the work force soon. I haven't got to call my parents lately and I need to get a break. My back's killing me." Emphasizing from how her back was cracking from bending backwards alone.

Nick winced. "Alright carrots, once this shift is done I'll give you a shiatsu massage."

"Since when did you learn shiatsu?" an ear would perk to the vulpine.

"Never…" he chuckled and finished up drinking the rest of the coffee.

Both of them giggled as they enter the briefing room, various other predators had gotten their first while the others were roughhousing one another with playful tricks and schemes like old kids. Then comes in the big buffalo, the mammals hooting in chant but only to shut their mouths from his shouts.

"Alright, as we all know things are getting a bit rough in this time. Crime rate is rising in sudden bursts and we still can't find the culprits for these acts of assault. So far nothing is too serious, but we can't let it go any further than it already has. Keep your eyes peeled for any individuals in these acts, bring them in, and interrogate them. These constant acts of assault happen far too frequently and far too spread out to be just one mammal." he paused to let the information sink in to the minds of the officers. Many of them murmur to one another.

"That's all for announcements. Hayler and Smith, you two will take patrol in Tundra Town." Handing the files as two predators walk out the door.

"Moore and Wilkins, suspected drug dealer." Shortening the summary.

The buffalo was also Chief Bogo as to mention, time passing by as he held out objective and files over to various paired mammals before they head out the door. Though as he continued his business Judy and Nick were exchanging a conversation with one another,

"Man these assaults keep on happening everywhere. What do you think is causing them?" Nick would whisper to Judy.

"I don't know, some kind of group or secret movement. It's obvious enough that it's occurring in all sides of Zootopia, and whoever is attacking them seem to have no regard for age either." Judy replied.

"That sounds like something from a movie. Like Vendetta or something." A faint smile would cross his muzzle.

"It has nothing related to Vendetta." Judy sighs.

Suddenly it was their turn to grab their task for the day, and apparently it seems they are the last one to get the pick. Hopefully it won't be the short stick of the batch. Both bunny and fox walk forward to Bogo who was reaching the folder to the two.

"Another assault today, and this one isn't all that pretty." Bogo huffed. "It's over in an alley within Zootopia. Address is within the files." And just like that the whole platoon of police officers was dismissed.

As the leporine and vulpine head to their vehicle many things had crossed their minds. Zootopia had certainly gotten better the past three years but it always seems that the peace doesn't last very long. When the missing mammal incident was just solved and the initial explanation was spread to the media it was easily influencing other mammals around one another. Prey began to fear predator just like it did thousands of years ago, but they pulled off on stopping the plan from gaining too much momentum.

"Hey, I saw something quite weird earlier." Judy would mention suddenly.

"What would that be?" Questioned Nick.

She recalled her memory, the time when that guy at the coffee stand was selling some refreshments in Tundra Town. "That guy, the one that gave us coffee…he had five fingers instead of four."

"Five fingers you say? What kind of mammal has five fingers?" The fox would only contain some form of interest, to him it was not much of an important detail.

"None, so what kind of mammal do you think he is? And something's telling me that his grey fur and the spots around his eyes…and that white hair of his seems to be natural to only him." Murmured the bunny.

"Don't know, might just be a series of multiple mutations like the X Mammals." Keys would jingle as the door would swing open, Nick gestured Judie to take the driver seat while he himself took the front passenger seat.

"Hehe, no he doesn't have any laser vision. Otherwise he would need red glasses." Judy adds her own little statement.

"Yeah I see what you did there. Anyway keep focus, we still got one more case to do before we retire for the day." the engine hums in a low minor before taking off onto the near-empty streets of the city."

…

…

"So, where is it?" said Hallow, looking at the city below.

Currently Umbra was with him, since he needed his hoodie and sweatpants back. But as agreement he would join the feline in a search convinced by a gut feeling that he recently had a few minutes ago. Hallow thought it would be a good idea to climb up to the tallest rooftop they could find for a better surveillance of the landscape. Umbra found that idea to be sufficient, with his night vision he can look in dark areas that might be hidden within the light of the city. How they got up there is that Umbra grappled Hallow into his arms and jumped straight up onto the roof. Initially that was a good idea, until when looking down below there was a small crater with to footprints within the epicenter…it was unanimously voted to never use their strength at such a level.

Silence endured the time they look about. Hallow was using his animalistic night vision to the best of his ability, how he got night vision is simply because of the body he currently has. Though it was harder than he expected, light from the city seemed to flash right in his face and all of them began to hurt his brain whenever he turned his head to meet more of them across the city. But fortunately Umbra managed to find something before that headache would turn into a migraine.

"Over in that alley, something appears to be out of place." Pointing to a pinprick of darkness within the lights of the city.

"Uh…got it. Can you lead the way?" Hallow asked.

The only answer was how Umbra jumped to another rooftop. It caught the feline off guard, and now he was being left in the dust by the black jackal. Hallow scrambled to keep up through jumping from rooftop to rooftop, it was good that he had night vision now otherwise finding him would be proven difficult.

"Hey! Wait!" he said stumbling after jumping on another roof.

Umbra refused to stand there and wait. He just kept on running, making a turn to the supposed location of where he last pointed. The sound of footsteps came to a stop, Hallow lost track of where the jackal was. He tried spotting movement in all the nooks and crannies of the dark spots of the city, but it was misfortune that he cannot find the canine through sight.

There was something else that catches his attention, light from a surrounding area being absorbed into a single source. Hallow knew that was Umbra's doing, he is known to cause such phenomena. Jumping over a few more buildings the feline had found the jackal…already there was combat within the scene. Because Umbra did not have his boom box with him at the moment, his fists were covered in flickering shadows that surrounded the pinpricks of light. Before Umbra was one of those creatures Hallow had faced last time, initiating combat with its claws that tried to rake the canine's face…only to miss and meet an imbued fist to the head. The creature was sent flying, crashing into a pile of trash but quickly recovers and charges at Umbra again.

The creature was darting around this time, not attacking directly but cornering the jackal with each strike. It looked like it was working, Umbra had to keep his arms up with each attack almost cutting him. Luckily his body manages to shrug off the attack, because a normal one would mean that the arms would have cuts all over them. The creature's success paid fruit with the black jackal now cornered between two walls. With a jump the being would use the two walls, first on the right, then to the left as it dove from above with claws put together for one extended makeshift spear. But Umbra saw the opening and took the advantage with sidesteps to the side as the claws dug through the concrete floor like a knife through butter. It tries to pry itself free from its predicament but the canine wouldn't allow it, grabbing its head and brutally slamming onto the floor. On all fours now, it could only wait for the inevitable…it was answered by an orb that sucked in the light of the city and absorbed nearly all colors of the spectrum, only to expel red within a thin radius.

An artificial singularity, which is what Umbra did. He forged an artificial singularity within its brain, causing the head to implode on itself. The body disappears like before and Hallow enters the little alleyway with the jackal.

"Good job. But, not to be mean, please wait for me whenever." Hallow stressed.

"Whatever, you already know that I like to work alone." Started Umbra.

"Oh yeah. Well, I'm just worried about you." Hallow stated his concern.

"Freeze!" said a female voice.

"Uh oh…"

…

…

The two cops stood frozen with their dart pistols aimed at the two hooded suspects. One in grey and the other in a neon green. The two figures remained frozen in place, though they did not turn around but to turn their heads slowly to one another. Both fox and bunny signal to one another through hand gesture, slowly shuffling towards the two…

"Now!" the one in the black hoodie called out.

The figure in the green hoodie swoops up the other, the duo react as they fire their tranquilizers. While they hit their targets on contact, only one of them fell to the ground. The figure in green otherwise jumps high atop one of the buildings before vanishing from their sights.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, did you see that?" Judy was gawking and pointing to where they last saw their culprits.

"Yeah I did. And if you have the same thoughts as me, then you know that isn't just any ordinary mammal. Not even a kangaroo can jump that high…well at least not that easily." Commented Nick Wilde.

Turning on their flashlights they search the area for any evidence they could possibly confiscate. They found the suspect, a horribly beaten up cheetah with gashes and bruises. While Nick called the ambulance to recover the victim Judy continued to snoop around, there was some blood scattered across the entire alleyway. Some of them was the usual crimson…there were ones that was like some mammal had spilled ink all over the area. Her eyes finally settle on a small crater, the epicenter being two paws that was more depressed into the ground than the crater itself.

Judy takes out her personal coms radio.

"Officer 235, Judy Hopps requesting back up. We need to secure this area for further investigation."


End file.
